


Donna the Noble

by DiscoTrek



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, I Don't Even Know, No one talks about her anymore, Non-rom, One Shot, Short One Shot, The old and the new, this would never happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-26 09:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2646260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiscoTrek/pseuds/DiscoTrek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor's latest regeneration asks an old friend for advice</p>
            </blockquote>





	Donna the Noble

She pulled a box of cereal from the shelf and shook it, checking to see if it was actually filled all the way. The last time she had purchased a box, she was outraged to find that there was a third of the space not filled by cereal. She nodded satisfactorily at the seemingly full box and continued down the aisle without a troubling care in her mind.  
As she turned the corner to get to the pastas, a thin, grey man stood in front of the shelf that she needed access to, looking indecisive. He was unmoving and his expressive brows furrowed at the display. She thought of her husband’s instruction to work on her patience and sat a moment, watching his hand almost grab something and then decide against it, close to seven times. She breathed in sharply and decided that what her husband didn't know wouldn't hurt him.  
“Oy, you’re blocking the way!” She called, throwing a hand up to emphasize her point. The man taking in the various boxes of macaroni looked up and met eyes with her. She saw something, almost like excitement, flash in them. “Ah, apologies.” He answered joyfully, surprising her with his accent. It sounded gruffly Scottish in just two words. She moved ahead and grabbed what she needed as soon as he moved away. She turned around and saw his expression. It was filled with worry and indecision about more than macaroni. Donna frowned with pity. She felt an odd connection to the man; she almost felt like she could help him with whatever it was, though she didn't really want to help him.  
“You alright, mate? You’re looking a bit, I dunno, distracted.” She grimaced at her attempt. He smiled at her, sending a message she would never receive. “As if to say I should be focused on the food items in front of me?” He asked in amusement. Her expression went sour. “I’ll be fine, thank you Mrs…?” He asked, holding out his hand for her to shake. She took it and answered, “Donna. It’s just Donna.” He patted the top of her hand as it was inside of his. “Good to meet you, Mrs. Donna.” His enthusiasm showed again. “Yep. Goodbye.” She turned with a quick, fake smile and headed towards the meats.  
He followed close behind her, as if she had invited him to join her in a turn about the store. “Can I help you?” She said in a lower, booming voice with an authoritative double chin. Joy flooded his face as he gave her a look that said without saying, “I thought you’d never ask.”  
“You can! How good of you. I just need to ask you something.” He replied, treasuring the look of disbelief that appeared on her face. It faded slowly. “You can ask, I suppose.” She replied, giving him a look that could only be translated as “the nerve…” She still felt as if she could do the old sod some good, somehow. He took that as his cue to continue. “I’m not sure how to put this. Honestly I didn't think I would get this far…” He mumbled to himself, trying her nerves even further. “Okay,” He tried again, looking at her eagerly like he knew she had all the answers.  
“There is a girl, a woman, who is small and loud and… roundy looking… She, well, I fancy her is the thing.” He sighed, looking down at his shoes, realizing he had never said it out loud before, and further realizing he had not told the entire truth. “I more than fancy her. She’s quite remarkable.” He spoke softly, almost as if he were afraid she could hear him. Donna’s brows pulled together. She didn't know what she was expecting from him, but what she found was an honesty that deeply saddened her, though she couldn't imagine why.  
“My question is, if she says she wants to leave, and never come back… How can I make her stay?” He asked with earnest eyes, studying her face that seemed to have aged slightly. Donna broke eye contact with him and looked down at her shopping list, pretending something had just called for her to look at it. She shook her head.  
“You can’t MAKE a woman do anything she doesn’t want to do.” She replied, watching a bit of dismay fall on his shoulders. Her expression untightened again and she felt as if this gangly creature was turning her soft. “That bein said,” he looked up at her, brimming with expectancy, “you’ve got to make her WANT to stay. Wow her! Take her to a proper dress party or on a nice train ride somewhere or something. That’ll change her mind right quick.” She noted, showing off the sparkle in her eye.  
The Doctor stood lifelessly still for a moment and then narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in contemplation. “That’s ridiculous. I ‘wow’ her all the time…” He challenged. Donna laughed boisterously. “Oh I don’t doubt it, string beans!” He glared, understanding suddenly where he went wrong. “Oh for Pete’s sake I didn’t mean- I have an unconventional lifestyle.” He finished a bot nervously. She watched him standing perfectly still. His hands inserted into his pockets revealing the flashy lining of his jacket. She believed what he said. “Here’s a mad question: Why not just tell her you love her?”  
He looked bewildered and somewhat angered by her word choice. He let the emotion pass and gave a small nod. “We’ve been mates for a while now, but she… She doesn’t know me as well as she think she does.” She looked him over, seeing mystery in his very being. “Maybe just let her get to know you then, ay? Maybe she feels the same and all, but she doesn’t know if you’d like her to feel that way. You gotta make a woman feel safe before you can expect her to let you in.” He considered her words and grinned at the simplicity in them. She patted his arm once and turned away towards the register, attempting her escape.  
“Also,” He began again, knowing her impatience. She rolled her eyes and sighed very audibly before turning towards him again. “She’s mentioned before that I look quite a bit older than her. I don’t see it but-”  
“Judgin by your face, the whole world’s younger than you are, sunshine.” She laughed, flipping her red hair behind her shoulder. 

“You have no idea.” He replied, repressing a smile afterwards.

“Better to try than to regret not trying, I say.” She delivered, not so eloquently. “You say you’re in love with the girl, so take a chance.” She finished with a shrug of indifference, but in her mind she wished him all the luck in the world. He sighed and tried to blink away his doubts. “You believe I should?” He asked, just to be sure. She smiled admiringly at his innocence, knowing that she rightly spoke.  
“You’re only too old when you’re dead.” She remarked, giving him one last pat on the arm. He laughed at her words and rubbed his hands together and then clapped them on her shoulders, startling her.  
“Oh the magnificent Donna... You’re a true problem solver.” He planted a quick kiss on her forehead and ran from her sight quicker than she thought a man of his age was capable.  
She laughed to herself and turned back to the register line, trying to dismiss the idea that it seemed almost like he knew her. She tapped her fingers on the edge of her basket and made a mental note to tell her husband about the strange transaction she had had. A subtle sound somewhere nearby caught her attention for a moment as she waited. It was distant at first, but it grew in volume and in abnormality as it yelped robotically. “Vworp, vwooorp, vwooooorp, vworp…” And then it left just as quickly as it had come.  
The voice of the grey stranger rang again in her head, “The Magnificent Donna.”


End file.
